Wood bending equipment



7, 1932-. J. A. McALIST ER 1,862,414 weon BENDING EQUIPMENT Filed Jan.9; 1931 Z'SheetS-Sheet 1' oooooeoooooboooooo on 0 co \NO James 4. 1y: fl1 i556! 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. A. M ALISTER WOOD BENDING EQUIPMENT FiledJan. 9. 1931 June 7, 1932.

9 I/Zmzes zlszer Patented June 7, 1932 UNITED STATES JAMES A. MCALISTER,OF SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA WOOD BENDING EQUIPMENT 7 Application filedJanuary 9, 1931. Serial No. 507,685.

The invention forming the subject matter of this application is embodiedin an apparatus designed to facilitate the bending and clamping of woodinto various curvatures.

As is well known in the woodworking arts, it is common, in constructingbull-nose stair risers, panels, etc., to build up a temporary foundationform to the curvature or shape desired, and then bend and clamp theboardkerfed, resawn, or in plies-to this temporary form. This involvesthe waste of a great deal of material for the temporary form and a wasteof time in constructing it. I I

The main object of the present invention i5 is to provide an apparatuswhich will eliminate the necessity for building the temporary bendingforms above referred to, and which will eliminate the waste of timeinvolved in such temporary construction. v

Another object of the invention is to pro vide an apparatus of thischaracter which can be cheaply manufactured and sold, and which can beknocked down to occupy a small space during storage and shipping. Afurther object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of thischaracter, of durable construction and material, adapted to stand thehard usage to which devices of this kind are ordinarily subjected.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the detaileddescription thereof proceeds.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of my apparatus illustrating aboard bent and clamped in a position of desired curvature on abase-plate forming part of said apparatus.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan View of the said base plate having aradius rod applied thereto for the purpose of determining the locationof the several clamping elements on the said plate.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of theapparatus shown in Figure 1, but onsomewhat smaller scale.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section through one of theclamping members located on the base plate, and illustrating a board inbent and clamped position, and also illustrating one of a set ofinterchangeable spacing plates for varying the radius of curvature insmaller spaces than that provided for by the'radially spaced aperturesformed in the base plate.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one element of the clamping membersabove referred to.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the aforesaid interchangeablesleeves.

Figure 7 is a horizontal section the line 7-7 of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary diagrammatic plan of one of the clampingelements having a spacing sleeve applied thereto, and

Figure 9 is a side elevation of one of a number of plugs which may beused in connection with this apparatus.

As shown in the drawings, the apparatus comprises a metal base ortemplate 1, suitably secured to a wood core or base 2, in the form of arectangular frame extending around the edges of the lower face of saidtemplate, and clear of the various rows of clamp positioning apertures,to be described hereinafter.

The metal template is provided with'an 5v aperture 3 located near thelower edge 4 of the template and equidistantly spaced from the ends 5and 6 thereof. This aperture forms the center of a semi-circle 7 havinga diameter'8 parallel to edge 4 and corresponding to that of thesmallest circular form about which it is practical to bend and clampwood.

Alined with the diameter 8 and extendin from opposite ends thereof arethe rectilinear rows 9 and 10 of apertures 11, designed to receive apositioning stud 12 (see Figure 4:) projecting from the lower face of aclamp designated as a Whole by the reference numeral 13. As shown inFigure 1, the rows 9 and 10 0f apertures 11 begin at the end of thediameter 8, at a distance of about six inches from the center aperture3. The first aperture of each row lies within and touches thesemi-circle 7, and the other apertures of said rows are preferablyspaced apart from each other at a distance of one inch.

A series of segments of semi-circles 14, concentric with the semi-circle7, are drawn to touch the edges of the apertures 11 and taken on cu toproject toward the edge 4 of the template 1 to form a scale 15, which istherefore graduated in inches and provided with numerals indicating thedistance of each aperture from the center 3. The spaces between adjacentgraduations of the scales 15, are preferably provided with apertures 16,each equidistantly spaced from the adjacent apertures of the scale, sothat these intermediate apertures constitute, in effect, finer divisionsof the scale 15.

From the outer end of each scale 15, and perpendicularly thereto, theplate 1 is pro vided with rectilinear rows 17 and 18 of apertures, tomeet another row 19 extending parallel to the upper edge 20 of the plate1 and; parallel to the rows?) and 10 near the lower edge of the plate.

The semi-circle 7 is divided into segments each of which subtends anangle of 22 degrees at the center 3, and radial rows 21 of aperturesextend from the semi-circle. until they meet the rows 17, 18 and 19. Theapertures of the rows 21 are spaced apart exactly as v those of the rows9, and 10 are spaced, so that these radial rows also form concentricsemi circular rows struck from aperture 3 as a center. The generallayout of these scales androws of apertures will be obvious frominspection of Figure 1 of the drawings.

It will be understood, of course, that the general dimensions of the.plate and clamps will depend upon the size of the. work designed to beoperated upon. It must also be understood that while certain dimensionsare assigned to the various scales described herein, this is only forthe purpose of illustration and ease. of description, and not by way oflimitation.

Each. of the apertures is of the same size as the stud 12v of the clamp13, and may be tapped to receive the screw threads of a set screw, orbored smooth to permit the free passage of the shank of a bolt 21 (shownin Eigure 4) for securing a clamp 13 to the template 1. i

" Each clamp 13 comprises a base 22, rovided with a slot 23, having astandar 24 extending perpendicularly to said base. Stifi'ening flanges25 and 26 connect the opposite edges of the standard 2.4 to the saidbase 22;. and each of these flanges 25 and 26 is provided with a handhole 27 to facilitate handling of the clamps bodily.

The standard 24 of each clamp. is provided with rectangular'slots 28 and29 for slidably receiving and guiding the rectangular lugs 30 and: 31respectively extending; perpendicularly from the rear face of theclamping pl-ate32. The standard 24 is also provided with screw. threadedbores 33 and 34 adapted to be engaged? by the screw threads of bolts 35and 36 respectively, the heads of which are of polygonal'shape, designedto be engaged by any suitable form of wrench, and

are also slotted to adapt the bolts for operation by a screw driver.

As will be readily apparent ,from Figures 3 and 4, the flat upper faceof the lower lug 31 forms a seat on which the lower edge of the board tobe bent is arranged; and the rectangular cross section of these lugs 30and 31 and of the slots 28 and 29 ensures an even sliding movement ofthe clamping plate 32 toward and from the standard 24 under theoperation of bolts 35 and 36.

In the operation of the invention, any necessary and desired number ofthese clamps may be located as the finished curvature of the piece to bebent requires. As shown in Figure 1 the board B is under process ofbeing bent into a semi-circular shape. Accordingly, the clamps arearranged so that their studs 12 are positioned in the holes of asemicircular row, the radius of which may be determined by inspection ofthe scale 15. If the work is heavy he clamps may be fixed rigidly to thetemplate by means of the bolts 21.

\Vhile the invention is illustrated as bending a board to semi-circularshape, it must be understood that theapparatus is designed and intendedto be used for bending material into elliptical. ogee, or any othershape or. combination of shapes where the curvature may be considered ascomposed of arcuate elements merging smoothly into each other.

It will be readily understood that it is hardly practical to make anaperture of less than inch in diameter to receive the studs 3 12 and thebolts 21 of the clamping mechanism. It is quite feasible, however, toposition these apertures inch apart on centers. The template in thiscase has the apertures spaced apart accordingly. This means that theclamps can be moved only in complete steps which vary by inch betweenadjacent apertures. VVh'enever it becomes necessary to bend any board toradii which vary by th of an inch, it is necessary to use other elementsin combination with the standards 24 and clamping plates 32 to effectthis result.

In order to effect more minute adjustment in the bending operation thanis possible with the clamps alone, each clamp is provided with a seriesof interchangeable facing plates; 37, each of which is provided withside flanges 38 and 39 which fit snugly over the side edges of thestandards 24, each of which has its clamping face 4O shaped arcuately.

The plates 37 have their inner faces 41 shaped arcuately to fit the face40 of the standard and have their outer faces 42 substantially parallelto the faces 41. The distance between these faces 41 and 42 will vary inthe different plates of a set by any desired plates of a set, in orderto secure variations of curvature in steps of th of an inch, mustcomprise sleeves of th, th, ths, Ath, f ths, y ths, and ths thicknesses.In this Way all degrees of curvature from 6 inches up to 24 inches canbe taken care of by the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 of thedrawings. It will be understood, of course, that the dimensions of theapparatus will be varied in accordance with the size of the work to behandled generally and in accordance with the desire of the operatorWhile the scale markings 14 may be con tinued around the template 1 ascomplete semi-circles, there is no necessity for doing so. Thesemi-circles would facilitate indieating the apertures for locating thestuds 12 of the several clamps. However, it is preferable to omit thesesemi-circles, especially those of large radius, and use a radius rodsuch as is illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings.

The radius rod 43 is provided with an aperture near one end thereof; andthis aperture 44 is designed to receive a plug 45 (see Figure 9) adaptedto seat in the aperture 3 of the template 1 or in any of the otherapertures in said template. when it becomes necessary to lay off work ofirregular curvature. The radius rod is also provided with scale markingssimilar to those of the scale 15 and with apertures spaced apart as arethe apertures of any of the radial rows shown in Figure 1 of thedrawings. The scale on this radius rod 43 is designated by the referencenumeral 15' and is similar in every respect to the corresponding scaleon the template 1 and shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

In the operation of the radius rod it is very convenient to use a numberof the plugs 45 to indicate the particular aperture in the template 1for receiving the studs 12 of the clamp. For example, in striking outany are of a circle by means of this radius rod on the template 1, it isnot necessary to make any mark whatever on this template, because forevery desired position of a' clamp the operator may insert a plugtemporarily in any and all of the apertures of the template 1 which mustbe used to receive the studs 12 of the various clamps. Variousconvenient modes of operation of this radius rod may be devised by theoperator to suit his convenience and the performance of the work inhand.

While I have shown the clamping members as detachably connected to thetemplate 1 for the purpose of adjusting these members into variouspositions by means of the several apertured scales, it must beunderstood that the permanent location of these clamping members on thetemplate 1 by means of slots substituted for the apertured scales, comeswithin the purview of the present invention.

It will be obvious that the template or base 1 may be suitably securedto a solid wood: core or base of rectangular form extending to the.edges of the lower face of the template, and

suitably bored to correspond to the various rows of clamp positioningapertures, insteadin the limits of the claims appended thereto.

What I claim is:

1. In woodbending apparatus, a clamping member comprising a base-plate,a standard extending perpendicularly from said baseplate and providedwith slots spaced apart thereon, a clamping plate having lugs projectingfrom one face thereof and slidably engaging said slot, and means formoving said clamping plate toward and from said standard.

2. In woodbending apparatus, a clamping member comprising a base-plate,a standard extending perpendicularly from said base plate and having aplurality of guide slots formed therein, a clamping plate, meansextending from one face of said clamping plate and slidably mounted insaid slots, and means for moving said clamping plate toward and fromsaid standard.

3. In woodbending apparatus, a clamping member comprising a base plate,a stud projecting from one end of said base plate, a standard extendingperpendicularly from the side of said base plate opposite said stud,guide slots formed in said standard, a clamping plate having lugsextending from one face thereof and slidably mounted in said slot,

and means for adjusting said clamping plate toward and from saidstandard.

4. In woodbending apparatus, a support having spaced openings therein,in combination with a clamping member comprising a base, a standardextending perpendicularly from said base and having an arcuate face, aclamping plate slidably connected to said standard, means for slidingsaid clamping plate toward and from said standard, a facing platedetachably connected to said standard and extending across the arcuatespace thereof, the thickness of the plate being less than the distancebetween the openings in the support, and means cooperating with saidopenings for adju'stably holding said clamping member.

5. In woodbending apparatus a template having a plurality of aperturedrectilinear scales radiating from a point on said template, clampingmembers having studs pr0- jecting therefrom to seat in the apertures ofany of said scales, means for clamping said member along the lines ofdirection of said apertured scales to said template, and facing platesof varying thicknesses detachahly connected to said clamping member.

6. In woodbending apparatus, a template having a plurality ofrectilinear scales radiating from a point on said template, saidtemplate being provided With apertures having one edge of each touchingthe division lines of said scales, a clamping member having a studprojecting from one end thereof to seat in any of said apertures andhaving a standard extending perpendicularly to said template, and 21,facing plate of less thickness than the distance between adjacentapertures detachably connected to said standard.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES A. MCALISTER.

